


Violæ

by RuffledCrow



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Jasico - Freeform, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Percico - Freeform, Smut, Trans Nico di Angelo, Trauma, jercy - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-04-06 09:39:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19060060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RuffledCrow/pseuds/RuffledCrow
Summary: Nico di Angelo didn’t sign up for this.Warning: Major tags might appear as chapters go on. Always check the tags for newer warnings on the latest chapters.Hahaha. Jk. This isn't discontinued hahaha what would give you that idea nope. I'm heavily revising it, and, if all goes well, adding more chapters. You're welcome.





	1. Grey Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been heavily revised, and is now part of the re-write I'm doing.
> 
> Nico would rather be anywhere else.

Nico doesn’t like fairy tales.

 

He remembers, once, when he was in the hotel with Bianca, she was telling him a story, brushing out his annoyingly long hair. It had something to do with love gods and nights, the typical ‘’Damsel in distress is saved by a knight in shining armor’’ Bull. But the reason Nico remembers it is the ending.

 

_ ‘’Do you know why you have flowers on your arms, Bella?’’ _ She had asked. He had shaken his head. _ ‘’Well, as the Knight left the princess, she wept flower petals. They landed on her arms, and as they sunk in, she cursed everyone to come after her to have their heartbreaks as flowers on them. That is why we have flowers,’’  _

 

Previous to that, Nico hadn’t cared why he had a couple of flowers on his thin little arms. But he was young, and ignorant, and believed whatever Bianca told him, because she was the ultimate authority on the universe. 

 

Now, of course, he curses the gods for his flowers, all  _ forty three of them _ , instead of some knight and flower princess. 

 

It’s easier like that, anyway. 

 

Forty three, along his neck, his chest, and arms. Yes, Nico had counted

 

Twenty One Aloe plants (flower was a loose definition), six Asphodel’s, twelve Carnations, Three Cypress’s, one Morning glory.

 

Eighteen years on this planet, and he had the flowers of war veterans and Holocost victims.

 

The Morning Glory, as though to mock him, was probably the most visible. It was on his neck, snaking up the left side of his neck and ending just below his chin. It appeared after ...well, after he realized that Percy and Annabeth were most likely a permanent installment. He was fourteen, and  _ everybody noticed. _

 

It was, at that point, turtlenecks became one of his favorite things in his limited little closet.

 

Oh god, he hates being a fucking demigod. 

 

“Nico?” Hazel asks, because she’s getting worried at how darkly Nico’s glaring at his food. 

 

They’re out to dinner.

 

“Yeah?” Nico says, looking up at Hazel, his dark look replaced with that of moderate surprise.

 

Nico’s matured over the years. Of  _ course  _ he has. His long raven hair scraped back into a ponytail, his fringe falling just above his eyes. The testosterone has made his jawline less soft, his face more angular. He’s wearing a black button up, pulled up to his elbows, because they’re at a nice restaurant, and  _ dammit,  _ he’s going to  _ try  _ for Hazel.

 

Hazel, who’s wearing a pretty, gold colored dress that brings out her eyes.

 

_ Hazel, who probably didn’t struggle to get out of bed that morning.  _

 

“You doing okay?” She asks, and Nico manages a small smile.

 

“Of course. Why?”

 

“You were looking at your pasta like it personally offended you,” Hazel says, smiling now, and it’s contagious. She only has ten flowers, all flowing over her shoulders.

 

She’s never been self conscious of the delicate gold things.

 

“No, I’m fine. Just thinking,” Nico says.

 

_ And brooding, _ his brain unhelpfully supplies. He tells it to shut up.

 

Hazel’s smile wavers, and she frowns a bit. Nico braces himself.

 

“About what?” She asks, and inwardly, he groans. She’s never very forward, but she doesn’t have to be. What she’s  _ really  _ asking is clear;  _ is your PTSD acting up? Are you having a depressive episode? Did someone just die? What’s wrong? _

 

“Oh, nothing in particular,”  _ I hate breathing, but you know, who doesn’t? I have a lot of flowers, too, and I hate those. Really, I just kinda hate everything.  _

 

Hazel sighs.

 

“Nico—“

 

“Seriously, Hazel, I’m fine.” Nico dismisses with a wave of his hand. She blinks. 

 

“Okay. But you know I’m here for you, right?” She says, managing a smile. Nico mimicks it. 

 

‘’Of course.’’

 

Dinner doesn’t last too much longer, Hazel and Nico both finishing their small desserts quickly. They part ways, afterwards, Hazel being picked up by Frank, and Nico climbing onto his motorcycle with a sigh of relief. He shrugs on his faux–leather jacket (real leather,  _ meat,  _ smelled too much like death) and speeds down the highway. 

 

He didn’t sleep he slept terribly that night.

 

_ Every  _ night.

Putting on his binder the next morning felt like hell. His entire body ached, and it hurt to blink. He had a lot to do today, though; Camp Half Blood had summoned him for a mission, gods know why. Apparently, it was minor, but being a demigod, you could never tell.

 

Why Nico had to go, he had  _ no  _ idea. They were hardly telling him  _ anything _ . 

 

He was pissed about that. If he was being requested for a mission, he should know  _ why.  _ But Chiron was adamant that he simply come to the briefing, and see if he could take it up.

 

He had phrased it like it was a question.

 

Nico’s  _ just  _ beginning to get his life together, too. He has an apartment for himself (Hazel was generous with her gift), and he;s settling down. He had even set up some sparse decorations. 

 

Hazel was rubbing off on him.

 

He haphazardly throws a few outfits and other necessities into a backpack, watering his few (very sturdy) houseplants feeding his beta (it’s name is Fred) before giving his bed a longing look and locking the door behind him. 

 

Fucking quests.

 

He had made sure to arrange it so that Hazel came by to water his plants and feed his fish while he was gone for however long, and Hazel had happily agreed. The houseplants, a gift from Frank and her, were actually nice to have around. They prompted Nico to keep his temper and mood swings in check, so as not to kill them.

 

He’s doing better, he thinks. 

 

Arriving at Camp Halfblood for the first time in six months...if Nico is being honest, it’s a shock to the system. It looks so  _ alive,  _ bursting with action. Nico is immediately transported back to his first week at Camp, how out of place he felt, how he  _ didn’t belong— _

 

“Hey, Nico!”

 

Sweet Hades.

 

Nico would recognize that voice from anywhere–the chipper undertone it had hiding under the deepness of it. 

 

_ Percy. _

 

Fuck.

  
  



	2. Complications and Contemplations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy and Jason were going to kill Nico, even if they didn’t mean to.

 

Why Nico seems so uncomfortable, Percy has no idea. 

 

Nico spins around so fast, Percy barely has time to blink before he’s faced with a very shocked looking Nico. 

 

“Hey, Percy.” Nico hastily replies, voice unexplainably deep. Percy’s eyebrows practically fly off his face. 

 

“Are you okay? You sound sick,” Percy asks, because that was a reasonable explanation, he guesses. Nico raises a confused eyebrow. 

 

“No?” There it was again! Percy frowns. He didn’t  _ look  _ all that sick, despite his unnaturally pale skin and the bags under his eyes.

 

“Your voice sounds kinda scratchy.” Percy explains, used to Nico’s lack of self-preservation instincts, and the man’s eyebrows draw together, before a look of realization passes over his face.

 

“Oh, that’s right. You haven’t...it’s testosterone, I started taking it about half a year ago.” Nico awkwardly explains, rubbing the back of his neck. Percy blinks.

 

“Oh! Yeah, right. Sorry, I didn’t...that’s cool, though! I’m happy for you. Half a year ago?” Percy rushes. Nico looks down, as though the ground holds the secrets to the universe.

 

“Yeah, half a year. I started in January,” Nico explains. Percy hums.

 

“Cool. So, you here for the quest briefing?” Nico snaps his head back up,

 

“The quest briefing that  _ you’ll  _ be attending?” It sounds oddly fearful. If Percy didn’t know better, he’d say Nico was nervous.

 

“Yeah?”

 

-

 

Fuck no. Nico was  _ not  _ doing this. Absolutely not. He was  _ not  _ going on a quest with  _ Percy motherfucking Jackson.  _ Not in this lifetime. He had been there, done that.

 

 He. 

Was.

_ Not. _

 

Yet, here he sits, next to Percy himself.

 

Who, of course, was wearing too tight of a shirt and too strong of cologne for  _ anyone’s  _ good.

 

Nico is mentally kicking himself.

 

“...love being referenced, of course, means it’s some God that’s related to that in some way. Which leaves us Cupid/Eros,” Chiron gestured to Jason, who was also going on the quest, “and, most likely, the Akatharsia.” Chiron explains, pacing back and forth.

 

Nico frowns.

 

“Who’s that?”

 

And, if Nico didn’t know better, he’d say Chiron blushed a bit.

 

“The Akatharsia are the brothers of...impurity. They’re in a...morally reprehensible relationship, and Zeus only gave them one name to share between them.”

 

Everyone shifts uncomfortably.

 

“So...why do we have to free them?” Jason asks, red dusting his cheeks in a way that’s all too familiar to Nico. Chiron shakes his head.

 

“We don’t know if it was Cupid or the Akatharsia who was taken, or maybe even both of them, and Cupid is important. Besides, the gods have specifically requested that you three go on this quest to find them,” 

 

Nico blinks.  _ Shit _ . He’s  hated Cupid since his last encounter with the guy, but at the same time, disregarding the Gods isn’t wise. If they specifically  _ asked  _ that Nico went on this quest, he didn’t really have a choice.

 

He makes up his mind with a weary sigh.

 

“I’ll go. Do we know where they might be?” Nico asks, Chiron becomes incredibly interested in the bottle of Cheez-Whiz on the table.

 

“Well, the letter makes a reference to...well, we think that the God/Gods are being hidden in the Lotus Hotel.”

 

‘’ _ What?!’’ _

 

Nico doesn’t sleep that night, either.

 

The Lotus Hotel. The place in which he spent  _ seventy years _ , believing it to only be a month.

 

The place where he and Bianca spent the most time together before she died.

 

The place Nico hasn’t been to in  _ eight years. _

 

Reasonably, of course, he doesn't have the best morning the next day.

 

Clambering into the camp owned, beat up SUV with Jason and Percy is a hassle. Percy had agreed to drive (when the Hades had he gotten his driver's license?) and Nico is only slightly afraid. Jason ends up sitting beside him in the backseat, and dear  _ gods _ , Nico doesn’t know when Jason got hot again, but he doesn’t really like the development.

 

He shakes his head. Percy and Jason were going to drive him  _ nuts _ .

 

“So, Nico, what's been up with you lately?” Jason asks thirty minutes into the ride. Nico mentally groans, then, trying to shift further away from Jason almost unconsciously. 

 

“Nothing much. How about you?” Nico replies, politely. Jason smiles fondly. Something in Nico splinters a bit.

 

“About the same.” Jason says, before effectively leaving the conversation to fizzle. 

 

Until, of course, Percy speaks a few minutes later, because  _ of course. _

 

“So...um...Nico, you dating anyone?” The question is impolite, considering Percy only sees Nico maybe once or twice a year. However, Nico’s too shocked to care.

 

_ Gods,  _ Percy reads social cues even worse than Nico. 

 

“Um, no,” He mutters, looking away from Jason’s curious glance. He needs to change the subject.

 

“Oh.”

 

Percy’s response is somehow inadequate, and Nico frowns.

 

“Why? Are you?” Percy and Annabeth had broken up last year, and Nico, admittedly, was curious if he was still single.

 

“No.” The way Percy’s gaze on the road hardens and the clipped reply makes Nico regret asking. Only slightly, though, but still. Jason looks back out the window.

 

“What about you, Jason?” Piper and Jason hadn’t dated in  _ years.  _ And, to Nico’s knowledge (and the occasional Iris–messages they shared) Jason was still single, ever since the  _ thing _ .

 

“Nope, still single.” Something deep and evil inside Nico purrs at that. He ignores it.

 

The conversation actually does fizzle out at that, and they drive in silence broken only by the  soft sounds of the radio until it starts to get dark, and Nico’s is beginning to nod off.

 

“Do you guys wanna stop for the night? Chiron gave us cash,” Nico doesn’t protest, then, praying to whatever gods may be listening that he can get a good night's sleep. 

 

They end up at the front desk of a decent looking hotel, and Nico isn’t paying attention until—

 

“We’re booked. We only have one room left, one bed.” The bored–looking clerk says, and Nico can  _ feel  _ his face heating up inhumanly quickly.

 

Percy looks at both of them, mouth hanging open, absolutely stupefied. Now Nico  _ really  _ wants to protest,  _ really,  _ but they all know this is the closest stop for a long while, and Percy looks exhausted. Plus, Jason is shooting Nico  _ a look,  _ and he simply busies himself with counting carpet squares. 

 

‘’Are you guys—I mean, I...It’s fine, we can find somewhere else—’’ Jason grabs Percy’s wrist, effectively shutting him up. 

 

‘’Dude, it’s fine. Right, Nico?” 

 

Nico nods dumbly, not knowing what else to do. Percy hesitates.

 

“Yeah, that’s...fine, I guess.” He hands over the cash, and the clerk suddenly looks less bored.

 

Nico’s silently mortified. He’ll sleep on the damn floor if he has to, but there’s no way in  _ Hades  _ that he’s sleeping in a bed next to both Percy  _ and  _ Jason.

 

_ Especially not without my binder, _ Nico thinks.

 

As they enter the room, Nico can  _ feel  _ the tension.

 

“So….um...I’ll….take the...floor,” Percy says slowly. Nico turns to look at him.

 

“No,  _ I’ll  _ be taking the floor.”

 

“Not if  _ I  _ have anything to say about it!” Jason interjects, and it would be funny if it wasn’t setting Nico’s teeth on edge. 

 

They all share a look.

 

“No, dude, it’s fine—“

“Seriously, it’s not a big deal, I can—“

“Absolutely not. I’m sleeping on—“

“Di Angelo, I swear to god, I’m—“

“Bro, I can handle—“

“No, you were driving—“

 

Nico becomes quickly fed up.

 

“How about we all just sleep on the bed?!” He asks, frustration taking his mouth and running with it, not thinking until Jason and Percy look at him, flabberghasted.

 

“Um, I mean, or I could just—“ Jason cuts Nico off.

 

“Good idea. Then we can all stop fighting.” Percy looks like  _ he  _ wants to argue, this time, but Jason shoots him the same look as he did Nico, and Percy closes his mouth.

 

_ Gods of Olympus. _

 

He keeps his binder on when he gets into his pyjamas, pulling a hoodie over his loose tank top (to cover up the flowers on his arms), and putting on a loose pair of plaid pyjama pants.

 

Jason notices, because  _ he would. _

 

“Dude, you can’t sleep in your binder,” because he knows Nico’s not naturally  _ that  _ flat, and apparently, now Percy notices, too.

 

“His  _ what? _ ” And it’s like Jason had just noticed Percy was in the room, blinking a few times.

 

“Nothing, Percy.” Nico says, and he glares at Jason. 

 

_ The look again. _

 

Nico sighs. 

 

“Jason, no. I’m not going—“

 

“ _ Yes,  _ yes you are.” It’s not a request.

 

‘’Jason—’’

 

‘’ _ Now.’’ _

 

Begrudgingly, Nico does as Jason asks.

 

Situating themselves for bed is another ordeal. Percy had collapsed on one side, and before he could realize what being in the middle meant, there Nico was, facing Jason’s back. It’s uncomfortable, and Nico doubts that he’s getting any sleep tonight, but it brings back a painful sense of familiarity that makes Nico’s heart pang.

 

_ Ew. _


	3. Delicate Silvers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s the unspoken tension that scares Nico the most.

When Nico wakes up being spooned by Percy, Jason’s face inches from his and his arms twined around his waist, he doesn’t know how to react.

 

The first thing his sleep–fogged brain musters is,  _ this is nice. Warm. _

 

The second thing it manages is,  _ holy shit _ .

 

He’s drowning in the scent of Percy’s cologne and salt water smell, and Jason’s deodorant. Percy is pressed against him, and he can feel Jason’s breath on his face.

 

He doesn’t move. Hades, he doesn’t  _ breathe _ for a second, because he doesn’t want to wake them up. 

 

_ And you don’t want this to end _ , his brain unhelpfully supplies.

 

Nico blinks. Jason’s shirt had ridden up, revealing a few, delicate silver Cypress’s. Nico stares at them, numbly. 

 

Percy’s breath is warm and comforting on his neck.

 

_ I shouldn’t be enjoying this,  _ he thinks guiltily. Except he  _ is. _ Nobody has held Nico like this since... _ too long,  _ and the fact that it’s  _ Percy Jackson _ and  _ Jason Grace _ is causing his brain to backfire and do barrel-rolls.

 

_ This is really, really nice _

 

Percy pulls Nico closer to his chest, and Nico has to fight off a squeak. Percy’s crotch is pressed to Nico, and…. _ oh, sweet gods of Olympus. _

 

Nico quietly gasps.

 

_ He doesn’t know it’s me. He’s probably dreaming about Annabeth or someone else, not me. Not me, never me, because Percy Jackson isn’t that kind of person. _

 

Nico’s panicking. 

 

 If he woke Percy and Jason up, all of them would suffer the embarrassment of...well, whatever  _ this  _ was. However, if he could somehow wake both of them up without—

 

“ _ Nico…” _ That’s Percy’s voice. That’s Percy Jackson moaning in Nico’s ear. 

 

_ That’s Percy Jackson.  _

 

Nico would like to say that it’s instinct he elbows Percy in the stomach. 

 

_ What happened next could only be described as a cataclysm of epic proportions. _

 

Percy falls off the bed with a startled shout, and Nico kicks Jason off the bed as well. In a storm of cursing, confusion, and general disaster, Nico runs into the bathroom, cursing whatever cruel gods have doomed him to this. 

 

Percy’s hurt look seems to be burned into his retinas. 

 

-

 

“Nico? Are you okay? If you’re PTSD is acting up, you can talk—“

 

“Dude, give it up. He’s not coming back out of there,” Percy says, uncharacteristically  miserably. Jason sighs wearily.

 

“But why? He just freaked out. He was probably having a nightmare or something,” Jason explains. Percy shakes his head, frowning.

 

“Jason, can we...like, talk?” Jason blinks, silent for a beat. “Yeah, of course. What about? You know you can tell me anything,” Percy becoming engrossed in picking at the bedsheets.

 

“I...so you know how he...um…” Percy flushes, pink creeping down his tan neck. It clicks for Jason.

 

“I don’t think it was that big of a deal. I mean, awkward, sure, but spooning him is definitely not the worst thing he could have woken up to,“ Jason tries.

 

Percy shakes his head, furiously. 

 

“That’s not it. Though, I am worried I freaked him out. No, Jason, I think...I think I might—“

 

A knock at the door makes sea-green eyes widen in surprise, electric blue mimicking.

 

-

 

“Dad!?”

 

To say Percy was shocked was an understatement.

 

 He hadn’t seen Poseidon in at  _ least  _ a year. And here he is, in this random Motel, smiling at Percy and Jason. The bathroom door creaks open, too, leaving a (now dressed) Nico to stare at Poseidon in shock, sword in hand, clearly expecting some kind of fight.

 

“Percy! My son! How are you?” Poseidon pulls Percy into a bone–crushing hug, which Percy hesitantly reciprocates.

 

‘’Um, yeah, I’m good. Why are you here?’’ Because that smile is fake, and even Percy can tell as much.

 

“To say hello, of course!”” Poseidon booms, and Percy winces..

 

“That’s...that’s cool and all, dad, but Jason, Nico and I are kinda on a quest,” He says. Poseidon nods.

 

“I’m know. I’ve come to wish you good luck,” Percy’s face twists in confusion.

 

“Just to wish me...good luck”?

 

“And to supply a  _ bit  _ of help.”

 

Nico’s eyes narrow, and he beats Percy to the punch.

 

“...why?” Nico asks, not bothering to suppress his suspicion. Wasn’t this supposed to be a  _ small  _ quest?

 

“Because I don’t want any of you to get hurt,” Poseidon’s smile wavers as he looks away from Nico and back to Percy.

 

“Anyway, son, I’m afraid I don’t have much time. However, I’m here to give you  _ this,”  _ a small vile is shoved into Percy’s hand, “and bid you good luck.”

 

The God is gone just as quick as he had come.

 

“Percy, what the hell was that about?” Jason asks, and Percy turns back to look at him, equally confused.

 

“I dunno. I mean, him visiting isn’t  _ super  _ weird, but now? And helping us out with a supposedly “minor” quest?  _ That’s  _ weird.”

 

“It is. What’s in that bottle?” Nico asks, and Percy can’t help the fresh blush that spreads across his face from looking at him.

 

He quickly turns his attention to the bottle.

 

“Um...it’s in Greek. It says, “for emergencies”, whatever the hell that means,”

 

Nico scowls.

 

“...emergencies? What the hades does he mean, ‘emergencies’?”

 

“Guess we’ll have to find out.” Jason says, looking around the hotel room. “We should probably go, though. I mean, we’re practically asking to be eaten if we sit here for much longer. Nico, you all packed up?” Jason looks toward Nico, smile trying desperately to erase the awkwardness heavy in the air. The shorter man shrugs in the direction of his backpack, giving an affirmative noise.

 

Silence is thick and present in the car as they sit down.

 

Percy doesn’t even turn on the radio, and Nico prays that Jason’s going to (he’s sitting shotgun, this time) but he  _ doesn’t,  _ because the gods must hate Nico  _ just that much. _

 

When Jason eventually talks, Nico winces.  _ Here it comes. _

 

“So...are we not going to address the—“

 

“ _ No _ .” Both Nico and Percy say, firmly. Nico frowns.  _ Was Percy really that disgusted by what happened? _

 

“But bottling it up—“

 

“Jason,  _ no. _ ” Percy says, and Nico would be a liar if he said that Percy didn’t look slightly scary right then.

 

“Alright, fine.” Jason sighs. Silence follows. 

 

At least, until something thuds in the roof of the car.

  
  



	4. Dancing Flames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico wasn’t planning on doing this at all.

 

Jason’s first thought was,  _ monster.  _

 

Because what else would want to land on top of the SUV with a dangerous  _ thump,  _ scaring all of its occupants shitless? A  _ pigeon? _

 

No, the pigeon guess was close, but no dice. 

 

It was a  _ Pegasus. _

 

Percy had talked with it, and apparently, the thing only had two things to say; “I want apples” and “danger”.

 

Jason was understandably confused.

 

All things considered, it  _ was  _ a pretty horse. It had Carmel colored fur with patches of white on its muzzle and stomach. It seemed afraid of Nico (“ _ not surprising,”  _ he muttered bitterly) and the creature seemed to be relatively tired.

 

“So, uh, he really isn’t saying anything else,” Percy said, patting the Pegasus’s snout. It whinnied into the contact, and Nico looked away.

 

“...except for danger?” Jason asked. Percy nodded.

 

“Something spooked him, that’s for sure. You don’t think it could be a—“

 

“CYCLOPS!”

 

-

 

Percy didn’t know what he was expecting.

 

The Cyclops wasn’t the  _ biggest  _ one they had ever encountered, sure, and they were bound to attract  _ some  _ monsters as children of the big three, but a Cyclops? In the middle of Virginia, they weren’t exactly expecting to come across a Cyclops that’s just  _ happened  _ to be running around.

 

Convenient, though. If they had ended up having to fight it back at the last gas station, that wouldn’t have been pretty. 

 

However, it wasn’t any easier fighting it where they were. For being so big, it was managing to dodge their hits pretty easily, even landing of few of its own. 

 

Nico had almost had his head bashed in by its club.

 

Jason had already been cut by one of the clubs spikes.

 

Percy slashed aggressively with Riptide, Nico mirroring the action behind the Cyclops. Luckily, with Percy and Jason distracting it, Nico landed the fatal blow, the monsters dust scattering in the wind.

 

That was when the son of Hades collapsed.

 

-

 

Nico really  _ had _ thought that it was just a shallow cut. It burned, yeah, but it was really nothing compared to the adrenaline rush. 

 

Quickly enough though, it was clear that wasn’t the case.

 

He started to feel the blood soak through his shirt, the cut just above his hip, and he knew he wasn’t going to last much longer. That’s why he  _ needed  _ to end the fight before he passed out, lest he actually bleed out on the battlefield.

 

He managed, but only just. His world promptly slid sideways, before going dark. 

 

That’s when the nightmare began.

 

-

 

Nico woke up screaming. 

 

The ear shattering kind, too, and Percy only narrowly avoided swerving off the road in shock. 

 

Jason was just as surprised.

 

The other boy had been sleeping, his head in Jason’s lap (“because he looks  _ uncomfortable,  _ Percy,”) his wound bandaged and…

 

-

 

Nico looked down at his chest.

 

_ Where _ the  _ hell  _ was his  _ binder?! _

 

“Hey, Nico, how you—“

 

“ _ Where’s my fucking binder?” _

 

Jason looks shocked, and Percy looks back at both of them.

 

“We had to take it off, it was dangerous—“

 

“I  _ asked  _ where it  _ was.”  _

 

Jason’s face hardens.

 

“Absolutely not, Nico. You’re recovering. You don’t get to bind.”

 

The car turns darker, even in the night.

 

“Jason, you are going to  _ give  _ my binder back,  _ now.” _

 

Electricity seems to spark in the air.

 

“No, Nico, I’m not. You need to  _ heal. _ ”

 

And Nico’s about to say something, something undoubtedly biting, when he falters. His hand flies to his side, and he whimpers, an ever–so–small noise, and Jason’s expression softens.

 

“Nico, you need rest,” Percy chides. Nico glares.

 

“Fuck you,” he says, and Percy  _ physically  _ can’t compute when he see’s the tears streaming down Nico’s face in the dim car lights.

 

Nico can’t, either, because he quickly blinks he rest of them away.

 

“ _ Nico,” _

 

“Not a  _ word,  _ Grace.” He says, staring out the window, determined to ignore the other men in the car.

 

“Nico, you—“

 

“ _ I said shut up!” _ Nico’s voice cracks in the middle, and the look of defeat on Percy’s face gives Nico an odd twist of guilt, but also satisfaction.

 

“No. You can’t  _ do  _ this do yourself—“

 

“It’s not  _ up  _ to you, Jason! Your opinion stopped mattering when you gave up on me!” The car lights seem to fizzle out.

 

“I  _ never  _ gave up on you!”

 

“You did! Everyone did!”

 

“Nobody  _ ever  _ gave up on you, Nico!” Percy interjects. To his surprise, Nico laughs bitterly.

 

“You didn’t  _ have  _ to. You had  _ Annabeth.” _

 

Jason can  _ feel  _ Percy’s glare.

 

“What does  _ she  _ have to do with anything?” Nico’s breathing heavily now, and the stars seem to get dimmer outside.

 

“Are you  _ that fucking oblivious? _ What does  _ Annabeth  _ have to do with this?  _ Everything, Percy!” _

 

Jason knows that Nico is going to regret this, but he’s too mad to stop him.

 

“What the  _ fuck  _ is your  _ problem?  _ She never did  _ anything  _ to you!”

 

“She didn’t  _ have to _ . It was  _ you! _ ”

 

“What did  _ I  _ do?!”

 

“You never noticed! You never  _ cared!” _

 

“Of course I cared, what do you mean?! You  _ hated  _ me, how was I supposed to—“

 

“ _ I didn’t, don’t, hate you, Percy.”  _ Nico’s voice is deadly quiet. 

 

“Of course you did, you—“

 

“What’s the opposite of  _ hate? _ ”

 

“Love! But why the hell does—wait... _ oh.” _

 

The car goes silent, and Jason can hear Nico’s harsh breaths. 

 

“....you…?”

 

“Yes, Percy.” Jason doesn’t have to see to know that Nico’s crying again. The sadness is palpable.

 

“...shit. I didn’t...I didn’t know. I’m…. _ fuck.  _ How long?”

The car just gets darker, and Jason reaches across the middle seat to lay a hand on Nico’s shoulder. Normally, it would be a good thing that Nico wasn’t shrugging off physical contact, but this time was different.

 

“Too long.” Is Nico’s clipped reply, and the car lights come back on. Nico’s crying heavily, looking back out the window. Percy looks guilty.

 

“Hey, you don’t need to cry, really. It’s—“

 

“Percy, shut up.” Jason says, because if he knows Nico at  _ all,  _ the last thing he needs right now is Percy talking.

 

“But—“

 

“Drive, Percy.” He says, pulling away from a still–crying Nico. Percy looks like he wants to say something, but Jason shoots him a look.

Reluctantly, Percy starts up the car, and only Nico’s sniffles break the following silence.

It was going to be a _very_ long car ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, definitely not gonna lie, this chapter was rushed. I just needed to write, and this seemed to be okay enough to post. Tell me what you think, though!

**Author's Note:**

> Nico is FTM trans in this fic. He’s biologically female, but he presents as male.
> 
> Binder– compresses one’s chest to make it look flat  
> Testosterone– male hormone  
> Top Surgery– surgery to remove breasts
> 
> My Tumblr: @RuffledCrow
> 
> “Tell me, little demigods, did you even know what you were getting into?”


End file.
